Book It: Four paradise island hotels that are perfect for escaping the winter chill
We’ve done the legwork, scoured the oceans (it’s a hard life) and found four paradise islands that are perfect to escape the cold weather...
Casasandra, Isla Holbox, Mexico
Best for… natural beauty
This stylish beachfront hotel feels like an island within an island: white beds speckle the sand, there are comfy chairs for lounging and, if you can peel yourself away, morning yoga sessions. Named after its artist owner, Casasandra (literally 'Sandra's house') the hotel is all bold colours, rough wooden beams and 'rustic luxe', adding a hint of Mexican-Caribbean flavour to everything from the walls to its cuisine.
Stella loves: The hotel's local, organic suncreams and insect repellents – soothing on the skin. (Just as well, as you'll need plenty of both.)
Out and about: For bliss of the most secluded kind, take the early morning Three Islands tour, where you can go cave swimming and see 150 species of nesting birds. Look out for dolphins and flamingos en route. Heaven.
Rooms from £179 a night, b&b; casasandra.com
Read the full expert review: Casasandra
Melia Zanzibar, Tanzania
Best for… pure white sand
When booking this resort on the north-east coast of the Tanzanian archipelago, be sure to choose one of the stunning over-water villas, from which you can hear the waves and watch sealife glide by from the swing-sofa on your private terrace. There are two swimming pools that look out to the Indian Ocean and, our highlight, a 1,000-foot private beach (think postcard-worthy pure white sand and crystal-clear water). Flop on the cabana beds at buzzy Gabi Beach club and while away the afternoon. Then back at the resort, visit Jetty Lounge, which serves tapas and cocktails at the waterside - bag a table at sunset. And breathe...
Stella loves: The evening entertainment at Spices restaurant – from local dance troupes to acrobats.
Out and about: Peel yourself away from that gorgeous beach, as there are daytrips aplenty. Our favourites included the private guided tour of Stone Town, Zanzibar’s spice capital (£50 per person, 50-minute drive). Stop for lunch at Lukmaan Restaurant (New Mkunazini Road) where an authentic Zanzibari meal costs around £4 per person. For snorkelling and swimming alongside wild dolphins, take a boat trip around the coast of Unguja (also known as Zanzibar Island) for £80 per person.
Rooms from £258 a night, b&b; melia.com
Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa, North Male Atoll, Maldives
Best for… don’t-lift-a-finger relaxation
One of the first Maldivian resorts, this place has been open for decades and its experience shows. A 15-minute speedboat ride from Malé airport means you get to your paradise island without an extra (expensive and tiring) seaplane journey. Once there, choose between over-the-sea rooms, beach-side cottages and splendid tucked-away villas with private pools – they’re all set in idyllic landscaped gardens with meandering paths, where tropical birds and bats flit between the trees. Though there are 176 rooms, the island never feels crowded, and there are many beaches, including a man-made lagoon that’s perfect for kayaking, stand-up paddling and families with young children. The hotel’s seven restaurants offer everything from traditional Maldivian cuisine to Thai, Indian and Chinese, and the breakfast spread at Feast restaurant also reflects the resort’s international clientele, with highlights of delicious freshly cooked masala dosa (a guilty pleasure we indulged in most mornings) and congee, plus sausages and omelette.
Stella loves: Sipping champagne at sunset on a HamacLand mini catamaran on the lagoon.
Out and about: The resort is self-contained on an island, so there’s no need to go anywhere else but organised excursions can be booked, including a sunset cruise to see dolphins and a snorkelling sandbank trip where a speedboat drops you off on a pure-white sandy 'desert island' that emerges as if from nowhere in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Here you can snorkel in the crystal-clear waters under the bluest sky imaginable. Heaven.
Rooms from £315 a night, b&b; sheratonmaldives.com
• How to choose the perfect paradise island in the Maldives
Gecko Hotel and Beach Club, Formentera, Spain
Best for… hardcore yoga
Some yoga retreats can be too 'cosmic' and gentle, or too boot-camp brutal, but Formentera Yoga nails the middle ground. Hosted on a gorgeous paradise island, just off Ibiza, the yoga is top-notch – brilliant instructor Jax adapts the practice (retreats can focus on slow-flow yin or more dynamic vinyasa) to suit everyone from beginners to serious yogis. Poses are broken down and explained, meaning you come away feeling that you’ve learnt something, no matter your experience level - and the practices work together to ensure you improve as the week goes on. Fitness aside, it also feels like a five-star holiday - the rooms are compact but stylish, the pool area and gardens pristine, and the restaurant has a menu of Ibizan classics.
Stella Loves: Gecko's loungy outdoor terrace... you get to watch the sunsets with a front-row seat.
Out and about: Playa Migjorn is steps from the hotel and a dreamy place to flop – although thanks to the island's diminutive size (just 13 miles long), exploring is easy too. Ses Iletes beach is famed for its white sands and clear waters, while Playa de Llevant feels breezier and less crowded. After all that lazing you'll need some lunch: head to the village of Sant Fransec for pasta in the gorgeous garden at Can Carlos, or make for the hippy market at La Mola (great for shawls and beaded jewellery) and grab tapas at Can Toni.
Four-night yoga retreat from £1,400 per person, full board, including yoga, based on two people sharing a room; formenterayoga.com; geckobeachclub.com
Read the full expert review: Gecko Hotel and Beach Club
Edited by Laura Powell. Reviews by Charlotte Lytton, Caroline Leaper, Stacey Thomson and Charlotte Cox
